1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of this invention relate generally to ear plugs, and more particularly to a water sports ear plug configured for protecting a user's ear canal from coming into contact with water and wind, while also consistently allowing sound to pass therethrough.
2. Description of Related Art
Surfers, swimmers, water skiers, and others who are in substantial contact with water often encounter problems with water entering the ear canal. This is particularly troublesome when the water entering the ear canal is relatively cold or becomes cold as a result of wind. A person subject to repeated conditions of this nature may develop a condition commonly referred to as surfer's ear—the development of bony stenosis of the external ear canal due to diffuse exostoses.
The common solution for preventing water or other foreign objects or substances from entering a person's ear canal is an ear plug. However, in the desire to perform at the peak of one's ability in any sport, the majority of participants will reject the use of any equipment which impairs the participant's ability to perform in the sport. Such is the case when the use of an ear plug during water sports and activities prevents or inhibits the ability to hear sounds clearly. Again, failure to use ear plugs during such water activities can have health impairing consequences, and the surgery to repair such consequences is a gruesome solution to restore one's hearing.
The following art defines the present state of this field:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,187 to Scott is generally directed to an earplug particularly adapted for use by surfers and swimmers having a small hole therein which keeps out water but which allows the user to hear, said plug being made of a soft plastic having a density of less than 1 whereby said plug will float.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,238 to Scott is generally directed to an earplug for attenuating sound and providing a watertight seal at the auricle which is made of solid, closed cell, slow recovery foam having an external flange adapted to extend beyond the auricle, the surface of the plug being convex to reflect away sound, and having an inwardly extending conical portion fitting into the auricle or cavum conchae and the outer portion of the ear canal sealing off the meatus of the external ear canal without substantially penetrating the external ear canal. The closed cell foam provides a multitude of convex and concave surfaces which dramatically reflect, dissipate and attenuate sound waves.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,961 to Adams is generally directed to ear plugs for swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving and other water related activities that form a watertight seal within an individual's outer ear canals. The ear plugs have a lumen extending along the ear canal. A hydrophobic membrane extending across the lumen, which admits air into or out of the ear canal but blocks water, seals the ear against water but transmits air. This passage of air equalizes pressure across the plug, improves hearing with the ear plug in place, and prevents water contaminants, such as harmful infectious agents and pollutants, from entering the ear canal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,745 to Mobley et al. is generally directed to a pressure regulating ear plug for regulating the rate of change of pressure inside an ear to minimize the pressure differential between the middle ear and a volume of the external ear cavity adjacent the ear drum, made of an ear plug adapted to fit tightly within the external ear cavity with no or minimal air leakage, and disposed within the ear plug is a pressure regulator with a slow leak rate. The pressure regulator is preferably made of a porous ceramic material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,729 to Castillo is generally directed to an ear plug for preventing water and wind from entering the ear canal while allowing audible tones to pass therethrough. The ear plug is provided with an ear plug housing which is provided with an outer member and an inner portion. The outer member is adapted to reside in the outer ear of the user and an elongate tubular member having an exterior portion adapted to extend downwardly within the ear canal of the user. The ear plug is further provided with an ear plug insert. The ear plug insert is provided with a retaining member which is generally annular, a membrane which is made of a water impervious material and is adapted to allow audible tones to pass therethrough, and an insert housing which is generally annular. The insert housing is provided with a first end which is axially disposable in the interior portion of the elongate tubular member which is adapted to receive the first end of the insert housing. The insert housing is further provided with a second end which is adapted to circumferentially receive the retaining member with the membrane securely disposed between thereto, so as to axially enclose the second end of the insert housing thereby preventing water and wind from entering the ear canal while allowing audible tones to pass therethrough.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,025,061 to Haussmann is generally directed to a passive hearing protection earplug for being worn at least in part in the ear canal of a user, comprising a hard shell having an elasticity of from shore D 85 to shore D 65 and pulling means which are adapted for being manually operated by the user and which are provided at the outer end of said shell, said shell having an outer surface individually shaped according to the measured inner shape of the user's ear canal and outer ear. The shell has a size and an outer shape which are adapted to enable said shell to be manually moved, by seizing the pulling means, from a sound attenuation position into a communication position from which it is automatically returned into the attenuation position by elastic forces exerted by deformed parts of the user's ear canal and concha upon release of the pulling means. The invention also relates to a use of such an earplug and a method for manufacturing such an earplug.
In a bit more detail, and as illustrated by the above discussed prior art, while ear plugs have traditionally been designed to reduce or block out sound, there have been some approaches taken—including the '941 patent to Adams and the '729 patent to Castillo—to design ear plugs that allow sound to pass through, while blocking harmful elements of water and wind. However such ear plugs nevertheless tend to block too much of the sound to provide a satisfactory solution.
At least one attempt was made to solve this problem—namely, the '187 patent to Scott—by providing a small opening through a membrane such that sound is capable of passing through to the ear canal without any significant interference. The opening is of such a size to allow sound to pass through, while still protecting the ear canal from exposure to the harmful elements of water and wind. While such a design works well for letting sound through when the ear plug is initially inserted into the ear, it fails in use when the user comes in contact with water. This failure is due to water droplets that often stick to the exterior of the small opening in the membrane, and thus occlude the sound from getting through. The only way to regain the original level of sound passing through the opening is to somehow dislodge the water droplets, usually through violent tapping on the ear plug until the droplets become dislodged. This is not only an irritation to the external parts of the ear, but also a dangerous habit as it can also cause damage to the ear canal due to the violent nature of striking the ear plug.
Thus, while the prior art described above teaches various types of ear plugs, it fails to teach an ear plug capable of protecting the user's ear canal from coming into contact with water and wind, while also consistently allowing sound to pass therethrough. Aspects of the present invention fulfill these needs and provide further related advantages as described in the following summary.